By Rebone Tau
Under Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza’s leadership, the City of Ekurhuleni continues to demonstrate a commitment to accountability. The recent developments at the municipality have inspired confidence that decisive leadership can make a difference when there is political will. For too long, South Africans have watched municipalities deteriorate while officials implicated in wrongdoing remained in office with little consequence. Ekurhuleni appears to be taking a different path.
The dismissal of former Head of Legal Kemi Behari, Head of Human Resources Linda Gxasheka, and former Chief Information Officer Moloko Monyepao sends a strong message that accountability is beginning to take root. Whether one agrees with every decision or not, what cannot be ignored is that action is finally being taken. This is what residents expect from those entrusted with public office.
Monyepao’s dismissal is reportedly linked to alleged negligence that contributed to the mysterious revenue loss of approximately R2 billion. That figure alone should concern every resident of Ekurhuleni. Imagine what R2 billion could have done for the people of the city. It could have been invested in repairing roads, improving electricity infrastructure, upgrading clinics, maintaining public facilities, fixing streetlights, strengthening law enforcement, and accelerating housing projects. Instead, residents have had to endure declining municipal services while billions allegedly slipped through the cracks.
The cases involving Behari and Gxasheka reportedly stem from their failure to institute disciplinary action against suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy head Julius Mkhwanazi. During the Madlanga Commission, we also heard that IPID had raised concerns relating to Mkhwanazi. It has further been alleged that he enjoyed protection from the then City Manager, Dr. Imogen Mashazi. These are serious allegations that have raised important questions about governance, accountability, and whether certain officials were shielded from consequences for far too long.
The actions taken by the council deserve recognition. Decisive leadership, exercised without fear or favour, strengthens public confidence in government institutions. Accountability cannot be selective. It cannot depend on political affiliation, personal friendships, or factional loyalties. If public institutions are to regain the trust of citizens, everyone must be held to the same standard.
At the same time, it would be naive to believe that those who benefited from the previous system will simply accept these developments without resistance. Those whose interests are threatened are unlikely to go down without a fight. Political battles, legal challenges, and competing narratives are almost inevitable. It is, therefore, a wait-and-see situation as South Africa moves closer to the next local government elections.
One hope is that whoever emerges as mayor after the elections continues the work started under Xhakaza. Cleaning up municipalities should never be a project tied to one individual. It should become the culture of local government. Institutions must be stronger than personalities. The people of Ekurhuleni deserve continuity in good governance, irrespective of who occupies the mayoral office.
Interestingly, the City of Ekurhuleni and the City of Tshwane have both featured prominently during proceedings at the Madlanga Commission. While Ekurhuleni has attracted attention because of past governance failures and subsequent disciplinary processes, Tshwane has found itself in the spotlight following the suspension of Chief Financial Officer Gareth Mnisi. His suspension has since been lifted after the commission’s revelations. Reports indicate that an independent forensic investigation commissioned by the city did not find evidence of impropriety, yet council reportedly decided to classify the report. That decision has naturally raised further public interest and questions about transparency.
These developments remind us that governance is not simply about personalities. It is about systems that either encourage accountability or protect misconduct. Where institutions function properly, allegations are investigated fairly, evidence is tested, and decisions are taken transparently. Where institutions fail, corruption flourishes, public confidence collapses, and service delivery suffers.
The reality is that local government remains the weakest sphere of government in many parts of South Africa. It requires courageous political and administrative leaders who are prepared to put citizens ahead of personal interests. Public office should never be treated as an opportunity for self-enrichment. It is a responsibility to serve communities and improve the lives of ordinary people.
Service delivery must once again become the central focus of municipalities. As we have heard throughout this week at the Madlanga Commission, there are disturbing accounts of government officials placing personal interests above those of the public. The testimony relating to IDAC has been particularly concerning. If even institutions established to uphold accountability become compromised, then the consequences extend far beyond individual departments. Public trust in government itself begins to erode.
South Africa needs strong government departments that are professional, ethical, and insulated from political interference and administrative capture. Officials must remember that they are public servants. They exist to serve the people, not themselves. The Batho Pele Principles were introduced to place citizens at the centre of public administration. Unfortunately, too often those principles exist only on paper while communities continue to experience poor services and unresponsive government.
The failures of local government are visible every day. One only needs to compare the condition of many national roads with provincial and municipal roads. The difference is striking. While national roads are generally better maintained, regional and municipal roads are often filled with potholes that damage vehicles and place motorists at risk. Many South Africans have experienced the frustration and financial burden of replacing tyres and repairing suspension damage because municipalities have failed to maintain basic infrastructure.
Streetlights provide another example. In many communities they remain broken for months, creating safety concerns for both motorists and pedestrians. Waste collection is equally inconsistent in several municipalities. Some communities wait weeks, and in certain instances months, before refuse is collected. The result is illegal dumping, environmental degradation, health risks, and neighbourhoods that lose their sense of dignity.
These are not complicated policy problems. They are basic functions of local government. Residents pay rates and taxes with the expectation that municipalities will provide essential services efficiently and consistently. When they fail to do so, confidence in democratic institutions declines.
The recent developments in Ekurhuleni should therefore not be viewed simply as disciplinary action against individual officials. They represent an opportunity to demonstrate that accountability is possible and that no one is above the law. If municipalities across South Africa begin to embrace the same culture of transparency, professionalism, and decisive leadership, public confidence can gradually be restored.
Ultimately, South Africans are not asking for miracles. They want municipalities that work, roads that are maintained, refuse that is collected, streetlights that function, and public officials who place the interests of citizens before their own. That is what good governance looks like. Accountability is not the destination, it is the starting point.
Rebone Tau is a political commentator and author of The Rise and Fall of the ANCYL. She is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought & Conversation (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg. She writes in her personal capacity.
